Officials: Make courthouses safer

Saturday

Recent incidents at area courthouses have prompted some officials to call for increased security.

Recent incidents at area courthouses have prompted some officials to call for increased security.

Two assistant Story County attorneys were assaulted by a man as they were exiting a courtroom at the Story County Justice Center, and in Boone, a man was arrested for reportedly threatening another with a knife inside the county courthouse.

The case in Story County prompted Story County Attorney Stephen Holmes to call for harsher penalties for people who assault courthouse personnel, and an increase in courthouse security. Holmes told the Tribune after the attack that it is not uncommon for his staff to have to quell volatile situations in the courthouse.

Rep. Rob Bacon, R-Slater, introduced an amendment last week that would make it a Class C felony to assault “a member or employee of a county attorney’s office or a judge or employee of the judicial branch.” Such a charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

In Story County, the justice center houses both the courthouse and sheriff’s office. Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald said there are certain security measures in place throughout the building, but declined to give specifics on exactly what those things are to avoid tipping his hand to people who may try to commit a crime at the building.

“We certainly are sensitive to balancing the needs of public access and also providing the most secure facility that we can,” he said.

Fitzgerald did say, however, his office will provide extra security when a judge or attorney makes such a request out of concern that a certain case or trial warrants it.

“Whenever we have a high-profile trial, the judges will contact us or the county attorney’s office, and we’ve always responded and provided appropriate security,” he said.

That could include making the building more secure by using and manning the metal detector at the door, or providing a deputy in the courtroom.

However, day to day, the building is not totally secure, Fitzgerald said.

Any potential increase in security presence, Fitzgerald said, will require a balance between what they would like to have and what they can afford. Funding would come from the county board of supervisors.

Fitzgerald said no matter what security is in place, it will not prevent all potentially dangerous situations. Officials may be able to prevent someone from bringing a weapon into the building, but not necessarily stop someone from punching someone, he said.

“I cannot put staff on individuals in the courtroom side one-on-one,” he said.

Holmes said the issues Story County faces are similar to those of other counties throughout the state.

For example, the courthouse is very busy some days, not so much on others. In Story County, Holmes said the courthouse is seeing an increase in traffic.

“What I envision is, a change or a review of how people come into the building,” he said. “That is a controlled access.”

Holmes said he also thinks there should be a law enforcement officer in court in “the many types of hearings where there is a potential for trouble.”

“I think that there can be some, very practical, and very efficient changes made to the entrance to the courthouse itself that would, I think, be very effective and not nearly as costly as people may think,” he said.

Holmes said he appreciates the board of supervisors’ working to find a solution.

On Tuesday, several members of the county attorney’s office plan to address the Story County Board of Supervisors at its meeting, said Rick Sanders, the board’s president.

Sanders said the county has a number of different buildings that see heavy public use, and the question is how the county will provide security to all of them.

“This is bigger than a courthouse issue for me,” he said.

He said the county needs to take a “holistic approach” to security at its public buildings.

When it comes to securing courtrooms, he thinks that should be up to the state. However, much of the building is for county use.

“To me, there’s got to be some give and take there,” he said.

Dan Kolacia, Boone County attorney, said the courthouse building houses other offices, including the department of motor vehicles, and has four entrances. He said those entrances do not have security. The sheriff’s office, as well as the jail, sit across the street.

Incidents such as the one involving a knife are uncommon, but Kolacia supports reducing access to one point and installing some sort of system to screen people entering the building.

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